Several farmers' groups have joined forces and raised the need to overhaul the Philippine agriculture sector, demanding the next administration to "transform" the industry for "food security, job creation, and balanced growth".

In a joint statement, Bayanihan sa Agrikultura, Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), Alyansa Agrikultura, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI), and Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines said the pandemic, among other things, has further weakened the agriculture sector.

The groups pointed out that during the last two years, the farm sector and its stakeholders suffered from transport and logistical breakdowns, aimless import liberalization, lack of health facilities to contain the virus spread, and poor distribution of amelioration assistance to the rural masses.

“A major development challenge facing the next government is transforming Philippine agriculture into an engine of economic growth, a generator of jobs, a social and economic stabilizer in the countryside, and the cornerstone for the country’s food security,” the groups said.

“We demand a reversal of this situation. Agriculture can and should play a leading role in national economic recovery and, more importantly, in ensuring social and economic development for all. To achieve this, urgent policy reforms must be institutionalized and implemented with decisiveness,” they added.

Right now, the agriculture sector accounts for 30 percent of the labor force, consisting mostly of some 10 million small farmers (who own three hectares or less), farmworkers, forest settlers, municipal fisherfolk, and other small-scale producers.

The sector’s direct contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) is 10 percent. Combined with processing (10 percent) and ancillary services (15 percent), the sector’s total contribution is 35 percent.

In contrast, during the last nine years before the pandemic, agriculture’s yearly share of the national government budget was only two percent. This, while countries like Vietnam and Thailand get five percent to six percent and three to four percent of their national budget, respectively.

Meanwhile, a significant number of farmers in private agricultural lands and in lands of the public domain still do not have secure land tenure, while small fishers’ catch is limited by continuing encroachment by outsiders into municipal waters and fishing areas within the country’s territorial sea.

Thus, the groups recommended that agriculture and fisheries should be recognized as the main guarantor of food security and foundation for economic recovery.

“Our farmers and fishers (including indigenous peoples) should be treated as saviors and lead actors, not as mendicants or targets of assistance,” the groups said.

“Agri-fisheries deserve adequate, sustained, and effectively used funding. Its budget should at least be doubled; and its allocation optimized, to yield the greatest overall benefit for the sector,” they added.

Likewise, they said that emphasis must be placed on self-reliance in domestic production, coupled with farmers’ productivity, profitability, and protection from pandemics, calamities, and climate change events.

“Government should implement safeguard and other trade measures to protect local producers from serious market disruptions and unfair trade practices. Importation must be the last resort, and any benefits therefrom equitably shared among producers and consumers. In this regard, the Rice Tariffication Law must be reviewed and amended,” they said.